As I write today’s post, I am up in Cambridgeshire once again working with a small group on further shaping the concept I wrote about as “Beautiful Leadership”
Two linked elements that we have agreed are at the core of this shaping are a) that we are seeking to create communities, and b) that it is important to begin with conscious curation to create and spark the growth of those communities.
The opening paragraph of the homepage of this site reads:
“Command-and-control leadership is losing its grip. A new way of thinking is emerging: leadership that embraces change as constant, encourages individual thought, relies on intuition more than data, fluidity more than hierarchy, trust more than fear, and the common good more than profit.”
In addition to my work with clients, I am now deeply committed to supporting the visionary that is Alan Moore in creating a community around the concept of “Beautiful Leadership”.
As I write this, a small group of us are working at Alan’s home around shaping the work begun at our first gathering three weeks ago.
As we delve into this, one theme has emerged: “Signifier of Intention”
Our intention includes recognition that, as Alan says, “Beauty is the Ultimate Metric” and so we have an intention for business and leadership to become more beautiful at a level that really has a major impact in, across and for the world.
We have brave and big intentions!
So how can we, as what is initially a small group, create such an impact?
Our answers include the recognition that we must create a movement rather than a company or other controlled organisation. This then means creating various communities under a common purpose, or “Why”.
Communities are everywhere, but communities of true and greatest impact in the world we live in now are those that grow, evolve, are shaped by and from within the community, not from, as that opening paragraph of the homepage talks of, by command and control.
Our group, though, is starting with a bold and brave concept that beauty is key to everything. So, as I wrote about in “Don’t be more than one hilltop ahead“:
It is…absolutely key that when a visionary leader looks at their organisation and sees a big, bold, brave, transformative vision, that they anchor on that and inspire, engage, enrol everyone around them and throughout their organisation and beyond.
However, and this is a big “but”, such a vision means nothing if your followers can’t keep up with you. Another “tom-ism” is “a leader is someone others choose to follow”, and part of that is to work with your team to break down the vision into manageable steps
To convert to a world where Beauty is the ultimate metric, with beautiful businesses and beautiful leadership, will take powerful communities growing, evolving and scaling.
This is new and brave, so to ensure that we do not get more than one hilltop ahead and lose those willing to follow, we recognise the importance of curating the communities.
“Everything man-made is designed” ~ Alan Moore
A key part of our work for these two days is therefore to set a frame of attributes, values and more around the curation of communities. This will include our corporate partners and supporters, those who will be participants in the programmes, as well as, critically, the community of skilled and purposeful learning practitioners who will be at the heart of creating the experiences that will fan the flame of the signified intention.
Community.
Curation.